Measuring and stopping device for towel cabinets



July 2, 1929. OVERHOLT 1,719,275

MEASURING AND STOPPING DEVICE FOR TOWEL CABINETS Filed April 17, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN YEN TOR 74555 T Z. OI/L'HHOL T July 2, l :29. I A. L. OVERHCLT- 13719.275

MEASURING AND STOPPING DEVICE FOR TOWEL CABINETS Filed April 1'7, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [/v VENTOR flLBf/iT L. OVERHOLT Patented July 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

, ALBERT L. ovEnnoLT, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNEseTA, AssiGNon, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, To STEINER sates COMPANY, or sun LAKE CITY, UTAH, A conroan- TIoN on UTAH.

MEASURING AND STOPPING nnvren non Townn CABINETS.

Application filed April 17. 1922. Serial Ito. 554,134.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple inexpensive device by means of which a web of clean towel, may be measured for a predetermined length of delivery to the user and positively checked or stopped when the desired length has been dispensed from the towel holder. I

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, i

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional vrew through a towel holder embodyingmy 1nvention, showing a measuring and checking device in its normal position,

Figure 2 is a similar view, showing the position assumed by the parts when a pull has been applied to the towel web and the measuring device has been moved to 1ts stopping position,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the cabinet, with a portion of the wall broken away, showing the relative position of the parts,

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view, showing a modified arrangement of the measuring and stopping device in its locking position, i I

Figure 5 is a similar view, showing the measuring and stopping device in its stopping position, i

Figure 6 is a front view, partially 1n section, showing the relative position of the parts. i

In the drawing, 2. represents the wall of the cabinet, having a door 3 through which access may be had to the compartment l wherein the roll of clean towel 5 is placed. This compartment is preferably open at the top and a guide roll 6 is mounted in the walls of the cabinet near said compartment and over this roll the web of clean towel is conducted. A second roll 7 is provided near the bottom of the cabinet below the clean towel container and the web of towel is passed under this roll and from thence to a bar 8 which extends from end to end of the cabinet and has between it andthe wall of the cabinet a narrow space 9 through which the loose end of the clean towel depends in position to be grasped by the user. When a pull is applied to this clean end, the towel will be unrolled from the supply in the con tainer and delivered to the user.

For 'the purpose of liinitingsuch delivery and checking the feed when a predetermined length has been dispensed, I prefer to provide a measuring and stopping device consisting preferably of a rocksha-ft 10 mounted near the bottom of the towel container and in thisrock shaft I mount a yoke 11 which straddles the towel container and the roll and swings back and forth over themand normally held in a raised retracted position by a spring 11. The middle portion of this yoke has preferably a roughened surface 12 composed of rubber, sand paper or other suitable material, whiehwill cling tothe towel and prevent its slipping thereon. The

opposite wall of the cabinet has a stop 13 in the path of the yoke and when. the middle portion of the yoke contacts with this stop, a bend will be forinedinthe towel and it will be. clamped between the yoke and the stop and pull of the user on the clean web i of the towelwillonly serve to drawthe yoke more firmly against the stop and clamp the towel more securely. i

In some cases where thestop device grips the web of towel at one point, I have found the user may, by applying a. quick, strong jerk to the towel web, pull it througlti the stop and obtain an additional supply of clean towel, thus defeating the purpose of the measuring device and stop. To obviate this objection, I prefer to provide a double stop and with this end in view I mount a rib 14 in the rock shaft 10 in position to engage the towel web and clamp it against the upper rounded edge of the bar 8 so that when the rock shaft is operated by the pull of the user on the towel, the web will be locked in two places and it will be impossible forthe user: to increase the length of delivery ofthe towel unless he releases the pull of the web and allows the measuring and stopping device to return toits normal posi-' tion. This ordinarily a user will not do. He might exert. a sudden pull on the towel web or jerk it in such away that an additional length of towel would be delivered where the measuring and checking device engaged the towel web at only. one point, and thisextra delivery will be positively stopped by the double check arrangement. The user therejerking the towel.

fore finds that he can not obtain an additional length of towel by jerking thereon and will abandon the attempt and not take the troubleto release the. web and allow the measuring and checking device to return to its initial position. i a

. In Figures 4, 5 and 6 I have shown a modified construction, whichconsists in providing a cabinet having a clean towel cha mber 16 therein accessible through a door 17 to receive a roll of clean towel 18. Guide rolls 19 and 20 are mounted in the upper portions of the cabinet over which the clean towel web is conducted and a narrow passage 21 is provided between the wall of the cabinet and a wall 22 of the towel chamber through which the loose towel web depends imposition to begrasped by the user when a section of'towel is desired. A rock shaft 23 is mounted in the wall of the cabinet and a yoke 24 corresponding to the one described with reference to Figure 1 is mounted in said rock shaft and over this yoke the towel is passed and over the rib 25 mounted longitudinally in the rock shaft and. from thence to a bar 26 arranged near said rock shaft. A bar 27 is mounted inthe path ofthe yoke for checking the movement ofthe same when a pull is applied to the towel and the bar 26 is in the path of the rib 25 so that the towel will be clamped between this bar and rib simultaneously with the engagement of the yoke with the bar 27. When, therefore, the user applies a pull to the clean towel web, the yoke will be drawn down to the position shown in Figure 5 against the tension of a spring 28, which when pull on the towel ceases, returns the yoke and rock shaft to their original position. In this way the towel will be clamped at two points and its delivery positively checked regardless of how muchthe user may pull or jerk on the loose end. As soon as the loose end is released, the measuring and checking device will return to the position shown in Figure tready to repeat the operation.

I have found with these devices that the delivery of a predetermined length of towel is positively insured and the length of this delivery can not be increased by pulling or I claim as my invention:

' -1. A towel holder having a support mounted therein having a surface for contact with the towel web and'to be moved by frictional contact with the towel, said yoke straddling said towelsupport and the roll of towel and a stop in the'path of said yoke against which the towel is clamped thereby when a pull of the user is applied to the towel web, said rock shaft also having a rib thereon and a stop in the path of said rib over which the towel web passes for clamping the towel at a second point in its length.

2. A towel holder having a support for a roll of clean towel, guide rolls over which the towel web passes, said holder having an opening through which the web of clean towel depends in position to be grasped by the user, an oscillating device having a surface engaged by the towel web and frictionally held in contact therewith to move forward with the web as it is withdrawn over -the holder, a stop in the path of said oscilanother point in its length comparatively remote from the point of engagcn'ient of said. oscillating device with said stop, said oscillating device being operatively connected to said means for actuating the latter as the oscillating device is moved.

3. In a towel holder having a support. for a roll of clean towelling and an opening through which the web of clean towelling is delivered to the user, a rocking yoke mounted to straddle the towel roll and frictionally engaged by the web of towelling, a stationary device, means actuated by rocking movement of said yoke for clamping the towelling between it and said device, and a stop in the path of said rocking yoke cooperating with the yoke to stop movement thereof and to constitute additional clamping means.

4:. A towel holder having a support for a clean towel and an opening through which the web of the towel is delivered to the user, a rocking yoke mounted to straddle and move over the towel holder, a stationary device, means attached to' said yoke for engaging the towel web between it and said device and checking delivery thereof when a predetermined length has been dispensed.

5. A towel holder having a support for a clean towel and from which the web of the towel is delivered to the user, a rock shaft adjacent said support, a yoke mounted on the shaft and having a surface for contact with the towel web, and frictirmally carried by contact with the towel as it is withdrawn, to pull the towel in its forward movement, said yoke having end arms for straddling said towel support and the towel, and a stop in the path of said yoke between which and. said yoke the towel is clamped when a pull of the user is applied to the towel web.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 18" day of April, 1922.

ALBERT L. OVERHOLT. 

